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Buffy picked up the phone, dialing the one person's phone number, who she knew would not let her off so easily. Her and Faith's relationship had been rough at first, until they gotten to know each other better. The one thing she always depended on from her friend and boss, was her ability to say what she thought.

"Hello, "B"."

"How did you know it's me?"

"No one with an area code out side of LA would be calling me." Faith replied, "I guess Cordy got my letter to you."

"Yeah, and I read it too."

"I knew I could depend on you to do that, just wasn't so sure about the answering back part."

"I'm sorry!" Buffy sincerely told her, feeling that same old dreaded guilt come back. "I just wasn't thinking very clearly it would seem."

"Yeah, can't say I disagree." Faith replied as she leaned against the kitchen countertop. "about the thinking clearly part, especially."

"So much happened, and I just didn't want to be anywhere around when he came back. I sure didn't want any of the others looking for me. Then the ugliness of being, as they say, knocked up, didn't help matters." Buffy tried to explain.

"Buffy, you are talking to the Queen of Run, here. Before I found Robin, I ran too. I ran from a lot of things I now wish I would've embraced and dealt with instead." Faith snorted before she chuckled, "I'm just glad you called, I now know where you live."

Buffy felt a weight lift off her chest that so far, neither of her friends was going to turn their backs on her. "I've missed everyone, I really have."

"I bet you have, and you're feeling guilty for leaving us in the dark."

"Yes, I am."

"Good, but don't let it keep you from keeping in touch, or then I would hate you."

"You don't hate me now?" Buffy asked, dreading the answer.

"No, disappointed you didn't trust me, or Willow, but not hate."

"I trusted both of you."

Faith cleared her throat meaningfully and said, "Yeah! Right!"

Buffy quickly explained, "No, honest I trusted both you and Willow. I didn't trust myself. I knew I couldn't hear anything about Spike and be able to make things work with Riley. It all made perfect sense then, but looking at it now, it was a mistake."

"Yes, a big mistake, but one I understand more then you know."

"When everything is settled and after the baby comes, do you think you, Robin, and the baby can come for a visit?" Buffy asked, knowing the answer would let her know if they would resume being friends again.

"Don't worry, "B", we are five by five. Friendships are like all relationships when it comes working through the bad, and enjoying the good. I really hate to make this short, but we have an appointment with the baby doctor. We will talk again real soon, and you can unload on me anytime."

"Thanks Faith, God! You don't know how good it is to have both you and Willow back in my life."

"Ditto, my email is in the letter. Drop me a line and send me some pictures of those gorgeous kids."

"Will do, and take care of yourself." Buffy replied right before she hung up the phone.

She looked at the clock realizing Riley should be picking her up soon. Barb was already here and had the babies upstairs, putting them down for their nap. The only regret she had with contacting Willow and Faith was their ability to get her to face reality. The reality being it was going to be painful to watch William meet his children for the first time tomorrow.

*******

"So the old man is coming here." Angel said with a thoughtful expression.

"Yeah, told me he would be here for me."

"Good! Do you want me to be with you when Wesley does his mind meld thingy?" Angel asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

"Do you want to be?"

"Yes, very much so."

"Why?"

Angel sighed as he looked at his cousin and said, "Because I want to be there for you, be it good news or bad. We are in this together, no more macho shit that you can do this on your own."

"No macho here, mate." William chuckled, "and I would feel better if you and Giles were with me on this."

"Then consider it done. We can be the three amigos."

"Three Musketeers.'

"All for one, and one for all."

"Ponce!"

"Blondie Bear!"

"Nancy Boy with too much hair gel."

"Okay, boys, enough!" Cordy reprimanded then, trying to keep a straight face. "Trying to watch a movie here!" She scolded them as she pointed between them and the TV screen.

"He started it!"

"No, you did, Peaches."

"Well, me, I'm stopping it. Now be good little boys and watch this great movie about a man, an elf, and a dwarf." Cordy glared, hating the fact they were interrupting her watching of eye candy.

"The man becomes King you know." William mumbled, "Then the elf and the dwarf go off and live happily ever after."

"Yeah, and he gets the girl and all Frodo gets is a free ride to Grey something or another." Angel replied.

"I still say Frodo and Sam was lovers." William said, as he gave his cousin a wink.

"I think the elf and the dwarf had a thing going on too, behind Aragorn's back." Angel replied, keeping a straight face.

"Hmmm, honey do you want to sleep in Billy's room tonight?"

"Sorry, dear." Angel leaned over and kissed his girl's cheek, "I take it all back."
"Good, now shut the hell up." She growled without taking her eyes off the movie.

William leaned back in the chair and felt his eyes grow heavy. Before he knew it, he was asleep, having slept poorly the night before. Here he never knew if he was safe, some times dreaming of a better time with the girl he loved. Other times he felt threatened as he dreamed about the woman who tore his world apart.

Angel watched as his cousin drifted off to sleep. He didn't let it show, but he was worried about Sunday. The fact it needed to be done he understood, but didn't lessen the fear it could cost him this man he loved like a brother. Wesley reassured him he would do his very best to keep William safe, but that didn't ease the anxiety.

"He will do fine." Cordy whispered in her fiancé's ear. "Will you worry this much about your own children?"

"I'm afraid I might if they give me a reason."

"Good! I'm so glad to have you in my life."

"I'm more the happy you're in mine. I don't think I could've done all of this without you."

"Then I guess we make a great team."

"Yep, forever."

"Forever."

*******

Wesley reached over and picked up the phone, "Hello!"

"Wes, old chap! How are you?"

"Eric, I'm doing well, and yourself?"

"Great! How's my boy doing?"

"He is doing very well considering all he's been through the last couple days."

"I'm very happy to hear that. I worry about him."

"You should tell him one day."

"Tell him what?" Eric asked, wondering if Wesley had figured it all out yet.

"That you are his benefactor."
"There will come a time when he will ask me and I will tell him the truth." Eric said hesitantly.

"Why is he so important to you?" Wesley asked.

"He just is." Eric answered, not wanting to state true nature of his concern.

The fact that Ann Carpenter was one true love still hurt. She was in his thoughts everyday, wondering what she was doing, how she was handling married life. The first time he met Spike, he knew he was Annie's boy. He looked so much like his mother he felt drawn to the young man immediately.

He'd sat at William's bedside and listened to the young man begging his father not to not hurt him. Not to touch the man in places a son should not touch his father, or another man when unwilling to do so. He never liked the man his Annie had married, and now he had every reason to hate him.

"He's the son that should've been mine." Eric finally broke down and said. "He's too important to me to lose, and I will do anything I can to protect him."

"I think he would like to hear that, I know he thinks highly of you."

"One day I will tell him."

"Take care of yourself old man."

Eric chuckled, "I will. You take care of my boy, and don't forget to take care of yourself."

"I will. I will be talking to you soon."

"I will be paying a visit soon. I have a proposition for William."

"Oh!"

"I'm working on my new album and I want him to play a few tracks with me." Eric informed him, the excitement heard in his voice.

"He will be happy to hear that."

"I will even rent a place there, if need be."

"Eric, how are you doing?"

"Wes, I'm doing very well. I've been clean for ten years now."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"You should, you helped me when I needed it. When I fell off the wagon, you were there. My son's death pushed me close to the edge, I tittered and you helped me from falling over."

"You know you can call me anytime."

"Yes, and on that note I need to go. The wife is calling me to dinner."

"Then off with you, before she comes and yells at me over the phone." Wesley teased.

"Talk at you soon." Eric said right before he hung up the phone.

Wesley finally got Eric to express why he was so dedicated to William's recovery. He'd hoped it would've been he was the young man's father. His instincts told him it just wasn't the fact the older man had seen a bit of himself his client. In fact, his brain was still telling him that there was more to the story then his old friend was telling him.

Eric stood staring at the phone, knowing he'd only told Wesley half the truth. One day he would set down with William and tell him everything. He knew it could cost him the young man's friendship, but then again it could bring them closer. The truth was he could be the young man's father.

*******

The ride to Dr. Walsh's office started out unusually quiet and the tension thick. Buffy wanted to question how his meeting with William went. She just didn't know how to ask without possibly causing an argument.

She realized for the first time since they'd married thirteen months ago they never had any disagreements between them. He'd never made her mad, or caused her to be upset, until William came back into their lives.

What surprised her the most was the fact she didn't blame her ex-boyfriend, for them now. Nope, she questioned if it was normal, to be married for over a year and never argue. For the most part she couldn't remember a time she made him angry that she knew of.

The fact she and Spike had argued over many things, the only major one had been about his drinking and drug usage. Each time they'd yell, get it out of their system and then talk it over as they kissed and made up. She never realized how much she missed that until now, but she just couldn't see her and Riley kissing and making up like that.

Riley would sneak little glances at his wife, as he drove. He wondered what she was thinking about, looking so lost in her thoughts. Over the last year, he'd done everything in his power to make her life with him as easy as possible. He would do all he could to avoid arguing, letting her have her way. He did nothing that would make her regret marrying him, to make her want to leave.

This morning was the first time he'd let his frustration show. Something he just couldn't hide any longer. Basically, he knew they were at a crossroads in their relationship, and both of them were going to have to think long and hard what they wanted from this marriage.

"You haven't asked how the meeting with William went."

"I didn't want to upset you before going to see Dr. Walsh."

"Why do you think it would upset me?"

"Just didn't want to take the chance, is all. I just figured we'd talk about it when we got home."

"Just to let you know I didn't hurt his feelings." Riley said, much harsher then he intended.

"That's good to know." Buffy whispered, feeling uncomfortable with the tone of his voice. "I'm not sure how to react here."

"Neither do I."

"Maybe we do need to talk to someone about us after all."

"Why would you say that?" Riley asked, confused at her comment.

"Do you realize this is the first disagreement we've had since getting married? Don't you think it's unusual, for a married couple, especially with children not to argue? Most couples fight, argue, disagree, it's like a ritual of getting a balance, about learning more about the other person's likes and dislikes."

"Maybe we've just accepted each other, and until your ex-boyfriend came back into our lives we've had nothing to disagree about." Riley offered.

"I don't know. There's a lot of things I don't know about right now."

"Are you thinking of leaving me?"

"No, I can honestly say that has not crossed my mind. Just so much has happened over the last few days and my head is spinning. I feel like I'm living outside my body and this is happening to someone else."

"What did you do while I was gone?"

"I called Willow and Faith."

"Oh!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked defensively.

"You talked to the old girlfriends, and they told your leaving like that was a mistake. So now you are having second thoughts." Riley accused.

"No, maybe, yes. I cut my best friends out of my life. I've made no real new ones since I've moved here. I have a lot I have to answer to, for the wrong I did my friends. I’m finding William is not the only one that hurt people. I hurt a few myself, and it's my own fault, not William's."

"Maybe we should just not talk about this anymore."

"Oh! Great, instead let's pretend it never came up. This conversation never happened and we are still happily married like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver." Buffy snorted, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Who?"

"Never mind! I've been watching too much TV, being the happy little homemaker."

"Buffy, why are we fighting?

"Because we are is the best I can explain it. The stress concerning William and the twins and how it's going to work. The wondering if we can make us work. I don't know, maybe we are doing this all wrong and going too fast. The fact we really don't talk, maybe we never really have." Buffy signed, realizing for the most part they never really talked about anything really.

"What are you saying?"

Buffy sighed, "I'm saying, I've been playing the part of being your wife, agreeing with all you decisions, even if I didn't agree. I cook, clean, take care of the babies, take care of you to keep myself busy so I don't have to think about things."

"Do you think marrying me was a mistake?"

"To be honest, Riley, I don't know what to think anymore. My head is spinning and I just don't know what to do or what to say. I just don't know."

"Maybe you should talk to Dr. Walsh about this?"

"I think you're right."

Riley nodded his head yes. He had one more question he wanted to ask, but was afraid he already knew the answer. He wanted to ask her if she thought she ever could come to love him the way he loved her. Would she ever be able to love him, more then she loved the father of her children.

The rest of the ride continued in silence. Neither one wanted to talk anymore on the subject. Buffy having made up her mind she would start to see Dr. Walsh separately as well, hoping Riley would do the same. The more she thought about it, she realized she had some issues she needed to deal with as well. That Will was not the only one that was carrying some painful baggage that needed to be lightened.

*******

Angel was about to leave and meet William and Cordelia in the lobby, when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello, son."

"Hey, Dad, I'm so happy you're coming."

"Yes, my plane lands tomorrow at 12 noon. Do you think you can pick me up?"

"Sure can, Will, is going to be at Buffy's meeting the twins about that time."

"Good, we can have time to spend together and catch up."

"Just so you know, whatever you and Mom told William brought a spring back into his step."

"Good, I will tell your mother, she had been worried about him since talking to you the other night."

"I didn't mean to make her worry."

"She will be okay, and you did the right thing by telling her what you thought. It opened both of our eyes to what we were doing to him. The last thing I want William to think is we do not care about him."

"He knows now, and your coming here really has helped."

"Just to let you know I'm going to look up Ethan when I get a chance. It has been far too long since he and I had a much needed discussion."

"Dad, I'm not sure that is wise."

"No, it's something I need to do. I suspected he treated Anne terribly, but she would deny it. I never imagined he treated William poorly as well, just never thought he had hurt his son in that way."

"Just, I think you need to talk to Mom, or even Wesley before you do something like that."

"I will consider it. But, right now I need to go and pack. Spend some time with my beautiful wife and Abby. Give Cordy and William my love, and my regards to Wes."

"I will do that."

"I love you, son."

"Love you too, Pop."

"I hate when you call me that." Giles teased.

"I know." Angel chuckled as he hung up the phone.

Angel smiled, even if he hated the fact they were going baby shopping. His father was coming, and he believed it meant everything was going to be okay. He patted his back pocket, making sure he had his wallet, since Cordy said there was no way William was going empty handed to visit his children.





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